Video Game Appreciation 101 (Random Import Version): Bing Bing! Bingo

Mention Bingo to the average younger gamer and you’ll probably get a blank stare for a few seconds until they remember either that goofy song about a farmer and his dog or recall passing a local senior center or church with a photocopied sign or fading poster announcing weekly play sessions geared towards more mature gamblers looking to rake in a few extra bucks. Of course, leave it to Japanese developers and publishers to do something wacky and fun with what’s basically seen as an old folks’ time-sink here in the US.

Released in 1994 for the Super Famicom in Japan by KSS, Copya Systems’ Bing Bing! Bingo was an offbeat blend of mini-games makes for an interestingly wacky diversion as it presents Bingo from seven different perspectives across an island vacation paradise of sorts.  Granted, if Bingo had big-eyed ladies in skimpy outfits and a spandex clad hero called Bingoman as part of the draw, I’d bet those churches and union halls turned into minor vice dens for the elderly would be packed with hipsters and of age young folks looking to rake in those bucks a few winning cards at a time.

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Review: Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Developer: Junction Point Studios

Publisher: Disney Interactive

# of Players 1 – 2 (Co-op)

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: Single Player D+ 6.5/Co-op: B+ 8.5

Like the piles of scattered Disney memorabilia you traverse through between maps, Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is a beautiful mess. As in beautiful when it works and a mess when it doesn’t. Of course, that’s both a good and bad thing, but we’ll get to the constructive criticism below the jump. As a co-op experience, the game in a great deal of fun as Mickey Mouse and Oswald The Lucky Rabbit team up to battle enemies solve puzzles and track down a seemingly endless supply of collectibles as they tackle the task of repairing an earthquake-ravaged Wasteland. There’s less darkness here and a much richer color palette, making this one of the better-looking Wii titles this year. But both single player and co-op have a few technical and gameplay hurdles that can sap the fun down a bit. While the PS3 and Xbox 360 (and presumably Wii U) versions can probably be patched up to a more stellar experience, I’m gathering Wii owners will be stuck with a flawed game that could have been greater than it is as it currently stands.

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Review: Skylanders Giants (PS3)

Platform: PS3

Developer: Toys for Bob

Publisher: Activision

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10+)
Official Site

Score: B+ (85%)

 

As a sequel to the last year’s hugely successful Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure, Skylanders Giants does exactly what it should and well enough that the kids it’s aimed squarely at won’t even notice its handful of mostly minor flaws. The goal of the game is to get kids to bug the heck out of their parental units to buy more Skylanders figures to use on that now USB-connected Portal of Power and the gameplay is fun enough to get you to plunk down those hard-earned dollars even if you don’t have kids and happen to be interested in trying this one out just for fun. Despite the still sluggish economy in some sectors, Activision and Toys for Bob have more of a cash calf to the original’s cash cow status that’s well worth a play.

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